I have never forgotten telling man after man in cell after cell how long they would get in prison for the 2011 London riots. Once enthusiasm for lobbing bins at police has waned, once your pals have been arrested, once the booze & adrenaline subside - you realise. Then regret.

Socratic dialogue with the thugs and their apologists.

It wasn't just that they failed it was that they *deliberately chose* not to process claims on the absurd basis that 100k people could be sent to Rwanda. A decision cheered on by many of those now complaining about the number of asylum seekers in hotels.

Yesterday the The Telegraph published a comment piece by Viscount Matt Ridley about renewable energy, littered with misleading claims. What to make of it? 🧵

Superlative.

Two tier justice? Cutting through the online myths – The Secret Barrister thesecretbarrister.com/2024/08/14/two…

My mate Alastair Brookshaw: "It's Hard To Speak My Heart" from Parade youtu.be/F4IYaK2iYZY?si… via YouTube worth a watch!!

Blair is right of course. We don’t just elect people to do what we’ve already decided should be done. Ina representative democracy, we (should) elect them to make better decisions on our behalf, devoting their energy, time, experience, and political judgment to that task.

The Grenfell Report Phase 2 is almost 1700 pages long but there is an excellent and readable summary at the start of volume 1, pages 9-32 here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d817aa…. So many things going wrong, all ultimately about government and regulators pandering to private interests.

Dangerous man

This! ⬇️ The solution to all your Christmas present needs. But only if you help ensure it gets made by pledging on the kickstarter! Do it now!

I would not have watched this anyway.

I've #justsponsored sam nicholls, who's fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity on JustGiving. Donate now justgiving.com/page/sam-nicho…

It’s just occurred to me. Why has it only just occurred to me?! Elon Musk is going to run the US now and for the foreseeable future.

I’m leaving X now. Musk is either evil or insane and either way he’s dangerous. You can find me on LinkedIn if you’re a colleague or on Facebook if you know me socially. (Very tempted to leave Facebook too, mind.)

This February, our Contentious Probate 2025 conference is taking place at The Caledonian Club. A pertinent and ongoing issue that many legal professionals encounter several times throughout their career. Chaired by STEP’s ‘Advocate of the Year’ Alexander Learmonth KC ⬇️

Kamala Harris told us exactly what was going to happen.

Was it for this that the US spent 80 years building power and alliances? Not to be a force for good. But instead to impoverish neighbours, threaten those it protected, rob minerals from war-torn countries, and break its promises to 100s of millions of the poorest in the world? 🧵

linkedin.com/pulse/law-comm…

We shouldn’t trivialise and stigmatise mental health diagnoses. It’s enough to just say that Trump is just a terrible person.